Religion Notes: July 20

Published: Saturday, July 20, 2013 at 9:55 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, July 20, 2013 at 9:55 a.m.

The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd at 22 Fisher Road, Brevard, will install a new pastor, Mary Hinkle Shore, at 3 p.m.

July 28.

Pastor Chris Webb of St.

Mark’s Lutheran Church, Asheville, will conduct the service. A reception will follow.

Shore comes to Good Shepherd from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., where she was a professor of New Testament for 16 years.

Before teaching, Shore served in congregational ministry in Woodworth and Fargo, N.D. She is married to Hank Shore, who is a photographer, writer and librarian.

While Brevard is a new home for the Shores, they are returning to North Carolina. Hank is from Winston-Salem, and Mary received her Ph.D. from Duke University.

Grace Lutheran Bible study returns in Sept.

Disciple Bible Study begins its 10th year at Grace Lutheran Church, corner of Sixth Avenue West and Blythe Street, in September. Registration for classes is Aug.

1-18.

Through daily reading of the Bible, weekly small group discussions and DVD presentations, the study is designed to deepen faith, increase understanding of the Scripture and guide participants into service as disciples. Disciple studies both the Old and New Testaments, emphasizing the wholeness of the Bible as the revelation of God.

Grace Lutheran is offering the following classes this year:

Disciple 1: Becoming Disciples through Bible Study (a pre-requisite to all other Disciple classes) This course covers the entire Bible.

Disciple 2: Into the Word into the World, Genesis, Exodus, Luke and Acts.

Disciple 3: Remember Who You Are, Old Testament Prophets and Letters of Paul.

Disciple 4: Under the Tree of Life, Old Testament writings, the Gospel of John, the Epistles of John, James, Jude and Revelation.

The series is designed to provide Bible study students with a continuing small group experience that is similar to the Disciple Series in that the focus of each 30-32 week class covers both Old and New Testament topics. New this year will be a Disciple short-term Bible study on the Old Testament (eight sessions). All classes will take place on Mondays and Tuesdays, with day and evening sessions.

Costs vary depending on the level of study. Orientation is Sept. 3, and classes begin the following week.

A music camp featuring “God’s All-Star Circus” will be held from 3-7 p.m. each Wednesday through Sept. 4 at First Presbyterian Church, 699 N. Grove St., Hendersonville.

The camp is open to those beginning kindergarten through fifth grade. There is no charge, and those who want dinner should bring $3 for pizza.

“There will be plenty of music, circus acts and fun,” said Belinda Winkle, the church’s director of children’s ministries.

In the All-Star Circus, Joseph is an acrobat, Moses an escape artist, Samson a strongman, David a sharpshooter, Daniel a lion tamer and Esther brave and daring.

The camp concludes with special performances by the children on Sept. 8 and 11. Call 828-2314043 for more information.

Mills River Methodist chosen for partnership

Mills River United Methodist Church has been selected as a partner church in the Thriving Rural Communities initiative, a partnership of Duke Divinity School and the North Carolina and Western North Carolina conferences of the United Methodist Church.

The program is funded by The Duke Endowment, a private foundation in Charlotte.

During the past six years, the Thriving Rural Communities initiative has helped divinity students, pastors, laity, districts and conferences share and strengthen the gifts found in rural North Carolina.

The initiative includes a scholarship program for students at Duke Divinity School who are called to serve in rural church ministry; resources, training and meetings for clergy leading rural churches; and retreats and pilgrimages that deepen participants’ understanding of and engagement with the issues they are likely to encounter while ministering in rural congregations.

As one of eight partner churches selected to participate in the second phase of the initiative, Mills River UMC will receive educational opportunities and grant funding during the next five years as it seeks additional ways to serve its surrounding community.

Partner churches also serve as learning centers for members of Thriving Rural Communities’ rural ministry fellowship program who serve their 10-week summer field education placement in one of these congregations, as well as for other clergy and laity throughout North Carolina.

The eight new partner churches are Mills River UMC, Cullowhee UMC in Jackson County, Piney Mt.-Davis Chapel Charge in Buncombe County, Bethlehem UMC in Union County, Concord UMC in Alamance County, Rhems UMC in Craven County, Spring Hill UMC in Harnett County and Prospect UMC in Robeson County.

Visit www.thrivingruralcommunities. org or email Brad Thie, director, at bthie@div.duke.edu for more information about the initiative.

<p>BREVARD </p><p>Shore to be pastor at Good Shepherd </p><p>The Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd at 22 Fisher Road, Brevard, will install a new pastor, Mary Hinkle Shore, at 3 p.m.</p><p>July 28.</p><p>Pastor Chris Webb of St.</p><p>Mark's Lutheran Church, Asheville, will conduct the service. A reception will follow.</p><p>Shore comes to Good Shepherd from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., where she was a professor of New Testament for 16 years.</p><p>Before teaching, Shore served in congregational ministry in Woodworth and Fargo, N.D. She is married to Hank Shore, who is a photographer, writer and librarian.</p><p>While Brevard is a new home for the Shores, they are returning to North Carolina. Hank is from Winston-Salem, and Mary received her Ph.D. from Duke University. </p><p>Grace Lutheran Bible study returns in Sept. </p><p>Disciple Bible Study begins its 10th year at Grace Lutheran Church, corner of Sixth Avenue West and Blythe Street, in September. Registration for classes is Aug.</p><p>1-18.</p><p>Through daily reading of the Bible, weekly small group discussions and DVD presentations, the study is designed to deepen faith, increase understanding of the Scripture and guide participants into service as disciples. Disciple studies both the Old and New Testaments, emphasizing the wholeness of the Bible as the revelation of God.</p><p>Grace Lutheran is offering the following classes this year: </p><p>Disciple 1: Becoming Disciples through Bible Study (a pre-requisite to all other Disciple classes) This course covers the entire Bible. </p><p>Disciple 2: Into the Word into the World, Genesis, Exodus, Luke and Acts. </p><p>Disciple 3: Remember Who You Are, Old Testament Prophets and Letters of Paul.</p><p>Disciple 4: Under the Tree of Life, Old Testament writings, the Gospel of John, the Epistles of John, James, Jude and Revelation.</p><p>The series is designed to provide Bible study students with a continuing small group experience that is similar to the Disciple Series in that the focus of each 30-32 week class covers both Old and New Testament topics. New this year will be a Disciple short-term Bible study on the Old Testament (eight sessions). All classes will take place on Mondays and Tuesdays, with day and evening sessions.</p><p>Costs vary depending on the level of study. Orientation is Sept. 3, and classes begin the following week.</p><p>To register, call 828-693-4890, Ext. 304, or email Sue Filson at graceedu@bellsouth.net. </p><p>Kids' music camp at First Presbyterian </p><p>A music camp featuring “God's All-Star Circus” will be held from 3-7 p.m. each Wednesday through Sept. 4 at First Presbyterian Church, 699 N. Grove St., Hendersonville.</p><p>The camp is open to those beginning kindergarten through fifth grade. There is no charge, and those who want dinner should bring $3 for pizza.</p><p>“There will be plenty of music, circus acts and fun,” said Belinda Winkle, the church's director of children's ministries. </p><p>In the All-Star Circus, Joseph is an acrobat, Moses an escape artist, Samson a strongman, David a sharpshooter, Daniel a lion tamer and Esther brave and daring. </p><p>The camp concludes with special performances by the children on Sept. 8 and 11. Call 828-2314043 for more information. </p><p>Mills River Methodist chosen for partnership </p><p>Mills River United Methodist Church has been selected as a partner church in the Thriving Rural Communities initiative, a partnership of Duke Divinity School and the North Carolina and Western North Carolina conferences of the United Methodist Church. </p><p>The program is funded by The Duke Endowment, a private foundation in Charlotte. </p><p>During the past six years, the Thriving Rural Communities initiative has helped divinity students, pastors, laity, districts and conferences share and strengthen the gifts found in rural North Carolina. </p><p>The initiative includes a scholarship program for students at Duke Divinity School who are called to serve in rural church ministry; resources, training and meetings for clergy leading rural churches; and retreats and pilgrimages that deepen participants' understanding of and engagement with the issues they are likely to encounter while ministering in rural congregations. </p><p>As one of eight partner churches selected to participate in the second phase of the initiative, Mills River UMC will receive educational opportunities and grant funding during the next five years as it seeks additional ways to serve its surrounding community. </p><p>Partner churches also serve as learning centers for members of Thriving Rural Communities' rural ministry fellowship program who serve their 10-week summer field education placement in one of these congregations, as well as for other clergy and laity throughout North Carolina. </p><p>The eight new partner churches are Mills River UMC, Cullowhee UMC in Jackson County, Piney Mt.-Davis Chapel Charge in Buncombe County, Bethlehem UMC in Union County, Concord UMC in Alamance County, Rhems UMC in Craven County, Spring Hill UMC in Harnett County and Prospect UMC in Robeson County. </p><p>Visit www.thrivingruralcommunities. org or email Brad Thie, director, at bthie@div.duke.edu for more information about the initiative. </p><p>Compiled from staff reports</p>